Display apparatus.



T. R. STONE.

DISPLAY APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5,1915.

Patented June 20, 1916.

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TOLBERT R. STONE, 0F HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

DISPLAY APPARATUS.

To aZZw/wm it may concern:

Be it known that I, Tonennr R. STONE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harrisburg, in the county of Dauphin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Display Apparatus, of which the following is a. specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain improve ments in display apparatus and has relation more particularly to an apparatus of this general character especially designed and adapted for use in connection with rugs or the like; and it is an object of my invention'to provide a novel .and improved apparatus of this general character whereby the rugs may be normally positioned so as to occupy a minimum of space and whereby said rugs may be readily and conveniently caused to assume an applied position for the purposes of display.

The invention consists'in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my im proved display apparatus whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device is rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenient and advantageous for use, all as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in the appended claims.

In order that my invention may be the better understood, 1 will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, illustrating a display apparatus constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention; and Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken through the apparatus as disclosed in Fig. 1. v

As disclosed in the accompanying drawings, 1 and 2 denote track-ways operatively supported by the ceiling and the floor respectively, the lower track-way 2 having an intermediate portion broken away to afford a display area whereby a rug may be properly spread upon the floor F when the occasion so requires. The track-way 1 is similarly broken away but has interposed in such portion the intermediate supplemental track-way 3 provided at its opposite extremities with the switch members 1 herein Specification of Letters Patent Patented June 20', 1916.

Application filed June 5, 1915.

Serial No. 32,432.

disclosed as movable in a vertical direction and operable under the influence of the rock arm .5 carried by the outer extremity of the stub shaft 6 to which the switch members 4- are fixed. In order to facilitate the operation of the switch members 1, the rocks arms 5 have depending therefrom the operating members 7 preferably flexible and terminating at a point within convenient reach of the operator.

Coacting with the track-ways 1 and 2, in a manner which is believed to be clearly shown in the accompanying drawings, are the vertically alined carriers 8 having suitably mounted adjacent their extremities the grooved rollers 9 engageable directly with the track-ways 1 and 2, and each of said carriers is provided with the engaging members 10 of any desired construction adapted to be operatively connected With the opposite marginal portions of the rugs R or the like whereby the same are normally maintained in a vertical position so that they will normally occupy a minimum of space. Adjacent the opposed extremities of the track-ways 1 and 2 are the vertically alined rotatable members 11, herein disclosed as conventional sprocket wheels around which are disposed the endless members 12, herein set forth as comprising sprocket chains and projecting fromrsaid members 12 in predetermined spaced relation and extending in the same general direction as the track-ways l and 2 are the hook members 14 with which the extremities of the upper carrier 8 of a rug to be displayed are adapted to be engaged, said extremities of the carriers being preferably provided with the hook members 15 to afford an effective coaction between the carrier and the members 12. The space afforded by the lower track-way 2 is bridged by the endless members 16 disposed around the rotatable members 17, said members 16 being herein disclosed as conventional sprocket chains, and the members 17 as conventional sprocket wheels and said members 16 are provided with the predeterminedly spaced hook members 18 adapted to engage the extremities of the lower carriers 8. The adjacent sprocket wheels 17 and the adjacent lower sprockets 11 are mounted on the common shafts 19 and 20, respectively, one set of said shafts 19 and 20 being operatively connected with the motor M and driven at the same axial speed, and it is to be observed that the members or sprockets 11 and 17 areof the same diameter whereby they rotate at the same peripheral speed. I a

' It is thought that the track-ways 1 and 2 may be properly termed storage track-ways. Presuming the inner rug R at .the left side of Fig. 1 is to be displayed, the adjacent switches 4 are adjusted into an open posi 1 tion and the motor M started whereupon the lower carrier 8 is moved across the display area andthe upper carrier 8 caused to engage horizontally alined fingers 14 of the 7 members 12, and'as is believed to be selfevident, the rug will be caused to lie flat upon the display area of the floor. It will also :beself-evident that when the rug R has been properly positioned upon the floor, v the motor M will be stopped. When it is desired to return the rug to the storage track-ways, the motor M is again started and the-fingers or projections 14 of the second member 12 will engage the carrier 8 which was previously the'lowercarrier and convey the same upwardly so that it may be siproperly engaged with the upper track-way the carriers 8 may engage and thus assure ,are believed to be self-evident.

their retention on the projections or fingers 1 1; -With the switches 4 in the position shown in Fig. 1, it will'be perceived that should an intermediate rug R be desired for display, the rugs in advancethereof may be readily carried across the display area. It will also be self-evident that the motor M may be capable of'rotating the shafts 19 and 20 in reverse directions for reasons which I also find itin practice of advantage to have the travel of themembers '12 and 16 so timed that the fingers or extensions carried thereby will 7 not interfere one'with the other.

While I have herein indicated the floor F and the ceiling Casstationary, it will be self-evident that the same may be included in a movable body and it will also be obvious that automatic means may be employedfor causing movement of the carriers upon am storage track-ways. a From the foregoing description, it is I, thoughtto be obvious that a display apparatus constructedin accordance with my invention is of an extremely simple and comticularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience'and facility with which it may be assembled, audit will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without material. departure from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice.

I claim:

1. A display apparatus of the class set forth comprising vertically alined parallel track-ways, a vertically disposed track-way bridging the space between the vertically alined track-ways, a carrier resting upon the upper of the vertically alined traek-ways, a carrier disposed beneath the lower trackway, each of said carriers being provided with engaging means, an endless member traveling in a vertical path and arranged inwardly of the vertical tracleway, the stretch of the endless member adjacent the track-way moving I downwardly, a second endless member disposed below the vertical track-way,the upper stretch of said second endless member traveling in a direction away from the lower vertically alined trackway, said second named endless member terminating atapoint inwardly of the end of the lower vertically alined track-way adj acent the vertical track-way, both of said endless members being provided with means for engaging the carriers.

2. A display apparatus of the class set forth comprising vertically alined parallel track-ways, a vertically disposed track-way bridging the space between the vertically alined track-ways, a carrier resting upon the upper of the vertically alined trackways, a carrier disposed beneath the lower track-way, each of said carriers being provided with engaging means, an endless member traveling in a vertical path and arranged inwardly of the vertical track-way, the stretch of the endless member adjacent the track-way moving downwardly, a second.

endless member disposed below the vertical track-way, the upper stretch of said second endless member traveling in a direction away from the lower vertically alined trackway, said second named endless member terminating at a point inwardly of the end of the lower vertically alined trackway adjacent the vertical track-way, both of said endless members being provided with means for engaging the carriers, an additional track-way in longitudinal alinement with the upper of the vertically alined track-ways and spaced therefrom, and a pivoted member carried by said last named track-way for bridging the space between the last named track-way and the upper vertically alined paratively inexpensive nature and 18 partrack-way.

3. A display apparatus of the class set forth comprising vertically alined parallel track-ways, a vertically disposed track-way bridging the space between the vertically alined track-ways, a carrier resting upon the upper of the vertically alined trackways, a carrier disposed beneath the lower track-ways, each of said carriers being provided with engaging means, an endless member traveling in a vertical path and ar- "anged inwardly of the vertical track-way, the stretch of the endless member adjacent the track-way moving downwardly, a second endless member disposed below the vertical track-way, the upper stretch of said second endless member traveling in a direction away from the lower vertically alined track-way, said second named endless member terminating at a point inwardly of the end of the lower vertically alined track-way adjacent the vertical ti-acleway, both of said endless members being provided with means for engaging the carriers, and means for moving both of said endless members at the same rate of travel.

4. A display apparatus of the class set forth comprising a horizontally disposed endless member, a vertically disposed endless member arranged adjacent each extremity of the horizontally disposed endless member and inwardly of the ends of said first named endless member, both of said second named endless members traveling in the same direction, a vertical track-way coacting with the inner stretch of each of the second named endless members, vertically alined track-ways arranged at the outer side of each of the second named endless members, carriers provided with engaging means coacting with the vertically alined trackways, and means carried by each of the endless members to engage the carriers.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

TOLBERT R. STONE. lVitnesses:

ABNER STRooK, JNo. F. LOSEY.

Homes at this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

ashington, D. G. 

